The 1st Turkish-Arab Business Summit was held, hosted by MÜSİAD and organized by the International Business Forum (IBF), with the participation of Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati, Advisor to the AK Party Chairman Prof. Dr. Yasin Aktay, IBF Chairman Erol Yarar, President of MÜSİAD Abdurrahman Kaan and President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) Şekib Avdagiç.

The 1st Turkish-Arab Business Summit was held, hosted by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) and organized by the International Business Forum (IBF), with the participation of Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati, Advisor to the AK Party Chairman Prof. Dr. Yasin Aktay, IBF Chairman Erol Yarar, President of MÜSİAD Abdurrahman Kaan and President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) Şekib Avdagiç.

Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati said in his speech at the opening of the summit that, with the work it carries out, IBF is an institution highly experienced in bringing the Muslims of the world together and successful in passing on this experience.

Underlining that it was highly appropriate for the Turkish-Arab Business Summit to be held at MÜSİAD, Nebati said: "Because MÜSİAD is the master of this business. With the work it has carried out from the day it was founded until today, MÜSİAD is an institution that brings all parties in its geography together and then establishes contact with the entire business world in the farthest corners of the world, first and foremost our Muslim brothers, and that combines this intensively with the culture it has inherited from the past to the present."

Stating that Türkiye is one of the rare countries in the region that provides the security of life, property and faith of every investor who comes, Nebati explained that there are also very important incentives granted in Türkiye to investors in general regardless of nationality.

Nebati conveyed that, particularly in the case of investment in organized industrial zones in various regions of Anatolia, there is every kind of investment support in addition to tax and insurance exemptions.

Noting that they had made a major change to the citizenship law, Nebati stated that foreign investors could become citizens if they fulfilled the necessary conditions, and that those who do not wish to become citizens could benefit from all of Türkiye's opportunities with the turquoise card.

Explaining that foreign direct investment coming to Türkiye continues to increase, Nebati noted that foreign investors from all four corners of the world come to Türkiye and make investments.

Emphasizing that Türkiye is a strategically important country, Nebati said that Türkiye is at the same time one of the most important countries in the world with its young population.

Drawing attention to the fact that the return on investments made in Türkiye is very fast, Nebati said: "Commercially, an investment you make today in a European country or in Western countries returns to you in 15, 20, 25 or 30 years. Only our children see the return of an investment you make. There is no such thing in Türkiye. All the business you do in Türkiye will bring you profit. You see the return of the investment you make in Türkiye after 4-5 years. In Türkiye you get the money you invested back in a very short time. There is such a fast return."

- "Türkiye is a country of opportunities"

Advisor to the AK Party Chairman Prof. Dr. Yasin Aktay, for his part, stated that the Turkish and Arab worlds cannot be separated from each other and said that there are citizens of Arab origin in Türkiye.

Expressing that it is very easy for Arab businessmen to invest in Türkiye, Aktay made the following assessment: "We generally see that our Arab brothers remain in very limited fields when they come to Türkiye. Because they do not do enough research. When our Arab brothers do enough research, they will see that Türkiye is truly a country of opportunities. We now need to speak of investment. Investment is also a kind of trade. But there are very different fields while making this investment." Stating that there are great opportunities in Türkiye not only in the field of real estate but also in the fields of mining and energy, Aktay emphasized that there are very serious investments that can be made in these fields as well.

- "This place is your Medina"

IBF Chairman Erol Yarar, for his part, said that because of the situation in the Middle East there are many businessmen from the Islamic world in Türkiye.

Yarar used the following words: "By bringing Muslim merchants together, we have to fuse the bonds among them just as the Messenger of God fused the Muhajirun with the Ansar. You had to leave your country like the Muhajirun. You faced many difficulties. But welcome. Because this place is your Medina. Because MÜSİAD is today's businessmen's organization, founded with the intention of the tent in the era of the Messenger of God."

- "Commercial and economic relations with Arab countries are not at the desired level"

President of MÜSİAD Abdurrahman Kaan said that throughout history Türkiye has maintained strong relations with the Arab geography without ever severing the bond of affection and without allowing that bond to be damaged.

Emphasizing that they work with an understanding of fair and trustworthy trade and that winning together is the fundamental aim, Kaan said: "We share a common history. Our sorrows and our joys are shared with our Arab brothers. The Arab geography is at the same time an important trade region for us Turkish business people. Türkiye's historical, cultural and social closeness with the Arab peoples, which has continued for centuries, encourages our country and the Arab world to take a close interest in each other. Especially in recent years, Türkiye has been pursuing a multidimensional and future-oriented foreign policy in its relations with Arab countries. Our country, which gives strong and active support to the efforts carried out for peace, stability and prosperity to prevail in the Middle East, conducts the relationship it has established with the Arab world by observing mutual economic interests."

Stating that, despite geographical proximity and the strong bond coming from history, commercial and economic relations with Arab countries are not at the desired level today, Kaan drew attention to the fact that 90 percent of the commercial activities of Muslim countries in the world are directed towards non-Muslim countries.

Emphasizing that trade among Muslim countries must be developed, Kaan made the following assessment: "Türkiye is a country that produces goods and services of a quality able to compete with the world in many fields such as the defence industry, machinery, real estate, food, textiles, iron and steel, information technology and software infrastructure. Moreover, we are carrying this competence of ours even further with each passing day. Therefore, we want to convey this accumulation and experience of ours to Arab countries and to strengthen the cooperation among us. We come together with our Arab friends at every opportunity and consult on how we can carry our businesses further together."

- "The Turkish public does not sufficiently know about Arab investments"

President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) Şekib Avdagiç, for his part, pointed to the existence of problems in promotion and information, expressing that the Turkish public does not sufficiently know about Arab investments and that Arab investors do not know Turkish business legislation and its advantages.

Underlining that initiatives should be undertaken to this end, Avdagiç noted the following:

"İTO is at the same time your chamber. İTO's doors are wide open to you as well. Every Arab investment made in Türkiye is a hope for the future of this geography. It is our duty to grow this hope. Because every Arab investment made in Türkiye is not only the gain of the person making that investment or of Türkiye, it is the gain of the entire Islamic world. It is Turks and Arabs taking a step towards a common future, beginning with trade."